Did Lifetime give us a near-perfect Christmas movie whereas breaking new floor within the course of?
Why sure, certainly they did. The Christmas Setup had all the things you might probably ask for, and it simply so occurred to be the community’s first queer vacation rom-com too.
And given their profitable execution of this one, whereas filming throughout a pandemic besides, hopefully, it will not be the final.
Hugo and Patrick had been the precise leads, and fortunately, they prevented the standard popping out story trope, so for these elements alone, it is possible the very best queer vacation movie we have seen to date.
And if the extra cute features of a movie attraction to you, then this one starred a real-life married couple: Arrow‘s Ben Lewis and Park and Rec‘s Blake Lee, so the chemistry was as pure as might be, and it had the queen that’s mother-fudging Fran Drescher.
Apologies, I’ll or might not have fangirled over Fran Drescher because the days I left milk and cookies out for Santa and fretted about getting coal in my stocking for yelling at my little brother.
The Christmas Setup had all the finest tropes, and Ben Lewis nailed his efficiency because the lovable, single, career-oriented, dorky human disaster-child protagonist. He additionally had the very best hair, severely, the sheen, the waves, the little Clark Kent curl — cute.
As a devoted lawyer who spent years making an attempt to climb his method up the ladder to make companion at his agency, it appeared to return all the way down to him advocating for himself in entrance of his boss. And it was a scene stuffed with a lot second-hand embarrassment and awkwardness we could not get previous it quick sufficient.
What’s it with regulation companies? You toil away, giving them your blood, sweat, and tears, saving their asses extra instances than you’ll be able to depend, and you continue to must demand, plea, and threaten to get that coveted promotion you greater than earned.
A much-needed break for the vacations meant Hugo acquired to spend Christmas together with his mom for the primary time in years, and with a mom like Kate, he could not have requested for something higher.
Kate was the very best, and he or she had a method of constructing everybody round her really feel welcomed. The truth is, there wasn’t anybody beneath the age of 40 that she did not deal with as a baby of her personal.
Which relationship did you like most? She obsessed over Hugo and doted on him as any mother would, and it was treasured. He introduced Maddie together with him, and he or she handled her as household — the daughter she by no means had (and possibly will due to Maddie and Aiden).
Actually, discover a higher platonic duo than Kate and Maddie throughout this movie. You possibly can’t. They had been endearingly meddlesome, unapologetic Hugo and Patrick ‘shippers, and nobody knew Hugo as nicely or acquired by to him as a lot as Kate and Maddie.
They usually vyed for final scene-stealer in the course of the movie, with Drescher edging Wong out for the straightforward incontrovertible fact that she’s had many years within the making of being iconic.
Each ladies noticed what the remainder of us did from the second Hugo and Patrick shared the display screen — these two belong collectively, dammit.
And so far as first meet-cutes go, Patrick delivering the huge Christmas tree to the Spencer residence and Hugo awkwardly bumbling about in a toolbelt as he tried to assist Patrick set it up was excellent.
They had been each such awkward delights, making an attempt to keep up a chill facade your entire time, though they had been smitten with one another. And there was by no means a scarcity of euphemisms throughout this movie, which amused me to no finish.
However The Christmas Setup performed their traditional misunderstanding of 1 character’s availability completely with out dragging it out a second longer than mandatory.
Patrick’s assumption that Hugo and Maddie had been married due to how affectionate they had been and the way they completed one another’s sentences was hilarious, and Kate leaping in to clear that up bluntly and rapidly — the matchmaking wheels already spinning in her head — much more so.
Hugo and Maddie had been fairly rattling shut, and I respect it when actors promote a deep friendship so nicely that it appears genuine and jumps off the display screen. Wong and Lewis offered that, however in a method the place Hugo and Maddie’s relationship wasn’t intimidating.
Positive, Patrick observed the bond and poked enjoyable a bit, however it by no means discouraged him from considering he and Hugo might have a closeness of their very own — their very own particular friendship inside their romantic relationship.
And Aiden did have moments the place he additionally appeared a bit wistful about how shut Maddie and Hugo had been, however as an alternative of getting jealous that another person had a more in-depth bond to his brother than he managed, he was grateful that his brother had somebody.
The second Kate and the others cleared that misunderstanding up, Patrick wasted no time capturing his shot, and you must respect a person who goes for what he needs.
And Patrick knew methods to WOO. Goodness! If Hugo did not fall for this cute, candy, nerdy man with the beautiful smile, then he would’ve been a idiot. A idiot!
Can we discuss Patrick’s dates? He made a sizzling cocoa date enjoyable and attractive (nonetheless reeling from Hugo’s $20 cocoa, although, whoa huge spender!). He created a stunning, well-lit outside dinner date in the midst of the tree lot, with meals, booze, twinkling lights, and a crackling fireplace.
He drove Hugo out into the center of nowhere in his traditional pickup truck, they usually sat within the truck mattress with blankets and watched the Northern Lights and made out beneath them.
Patrick made me swoon together with his all the way down to earth persona and courting fashion regardless of, you already know, being wealthy. Discover you a Patrick, gentlefolk. He is the very best Patrick since Schitt’s Creek, and it isn’t up for debate.
And the very best half about it’s that it in all probability needed to do with pandemic restrictions, however it match Patrick’s persona so nicely that these restrictions by no means crossed the thoughts.
Patrick, with the assistance of his trusty Cassandra, put within the work to make not simply make Hugo however the viewers fall in love with him, and he succeeded. And that is the way you romantic lead, folks.
It was additionally good to listen to about their respective experiences in highschool. It is humorous how while you’re the dorky one, you by no means take into consideration anybody remembering you, however Patrick, regardless of being out and standard was fairly lonely again then, and he additionally took discover of Hugo.
Hugo wasn’t out throughout these days, and he will need to have stored to himself, however it sounds as if his highschool crush on Patrick was mutual, however he by no means realized it.
Hugo and Patrick felt like an inevitability. They had been fated, or slightly Kate’d, to be collectively, however Hugo’s job supply interfered.
Hugo acquired the promotion he dreamed about, however it meant relocating to London to run the workplace, and he fretted about it for a while earlier than Maddie by chance spilled the beans to everybody.
The extra time he spent at residence, with Patrick, certain, but additionally his mom and remembered what it was like of their quaint city, the sadder he was in regards to the promotion.
He had a well-balanced life in Milwaukee of their Carol neighborhood. He acquired to mud off the instruments and do some woodwork once more just like the outdated days together with his late father.
Regardless of his complaints, he acquired to spend time together with his mom and assist her put collectively the city’s Christmas occasions. His brother was again from his station in Europe, and it meant spending time with and attending to know him higher as an grownup.
He had Patrick. And as Patrick talked about usually, the city had developed and was turning into a good looking, inclusive, up and coming place.
Patrick spoke in regards to the protected house they opened up for queer youth and the drag membership. He took Hugo, Maddie, and Aiden to one of many pop-ups the place they’d a merry time with drag queens and drinks, and Hugo sang.
The city had accomplished a lot work rebuilding the place, and Patrick knew that Hugo can be an ideal addition to that. It was a lot work they might nonetheless do to make the city all the things Edgar Carol needed it to be.
And Hugo confirmed his worth when he began trying into the paperwork and historical past of the prepare station (and Carol), so he might reserve it from demolishment.
The traditional “should save Christmas” job was an amazing one, and I really like how nicely it tied into the love story.
Whereas doing his analysis, Hugo found that their neighborhood’s founder, Edgar Carol, was homosexual, too.
He left nearly all of his possession to a person named Ashby. Hugo discovered a photograph of Carol and Ashby grazing pinkies with a sentimental inscription on the again.
Hugo had the motivation to save lots of the beloved, historic prepare station anyway, however upon discovering a lot about Carol, he felt related to it in a extra significant method.
On the one hand, the primary thought to return to thoughts was that Carol’s needs for his property weren’t honored due to his sexuality. However on the opposite, it is so refreshing that the film strayed away from homophobia altogether.
Neither Patrick nor Hugo went down an extended listing of prejudices they confronted due to who they’re drawn to, and never solely had been their households supportive of them, however all of them had been rattling close to pushing Hugo and Patrick collectively your entire movie.
The one actual draw back was whereas the movie alluded to the prepare station surviving after Hugo discovering out that it belonged to the committee based mostly on Carol’s needs, it did not give official affirmation.
The identical goes for Hugo’s resolution on whether or not or not he was taking the promotion and shifting to London, or staying in New York Metropolis, or relocating to Milwaulkee.
He had reservations about sustaining a long-distance relationship. He did not assume he might handle it, and Patrick thought it was bullshit at first, however then later, he, too, reasoned that as a numbers man, the percentages weren’t of their favor.
The mathematics clashed with the chemistry, and it is what led Patrick to distance himself when he realized he could not spend the remaining time with Hugo, figuring out that he would transfer over the pond.
Oddly sufficient, everybody naturally assumed Hugo took the job, even when he hadn’t made his official resolution or assertion but.
A type of enlightenment got here within the type of Aiden and Maddie.
They, too, had been an cute couple. And Kate, ever the multi-tasker, had no downside encouraging that relationship as nicely.
Actually, Kate stayed profitable right here. Each of her sons ended up with folks she adored and who had been mainly handled like a part of the household anyway.
You already know subsequent yr, they will all having matching pajamas on the prepared for the group photograph she’s placing on their household Christmas card. Maddie was already calling her “mother.” Kate and her kiddos; you like to see it.
Maddie and Aiden’s relationship constructed naturally because the secondary romance, and it was treasured. However satirically, the connection that was intriguing however wanted extra background was Hugo and Aiden.
Hugo expressed that he at all times had a tough time making an attempt to attach with Aiden. Sadly, he by no means elaborated on what that meant.
It is like they had been brothers however did not know one another nicely, and it made you surprise what the story was there. Sometimes, you’d assume it was discomfort or weirdness due to Hugo’s sexuality, however they by no means implied that, and it was genuinely refreshing that Aiden, who was within the Air Drive, compeltely accepted and liked his brother.
On Aiden’s finish, it sounded as if Hugo and their father had been shut and bonded over woodwork within the storage, and Aidan did not really feel included in that.
It nearly appears as if Aiden felt just like the outcast, and he was thrilled to be within the storage, spending time together with his brother. He additionally liked speaking about Patrick and was desperate to know extra about his brother and his life.
However the movie by no means delved into any of that any additional regardless of the intrigue.
Additionally, it sounded as if Aidan knew or remembered Patrick earlier than, and for a second, it appeared as if he knew one thing about Patrick that he wasn’t sharing. However then, nothing ever got here of that both.
Aiden, too, was prompting Hugo to remain in Wisconsin, and he reminded Hugo that while you discover a reference to somebody or love them method he did with Maddie and Hugo did with Patrick, you then make it work it doesn’t matter what.
You no less than put within the effort if it mattered.
Hugo wanted to listen to and settle for that, and thankfully, the message hit him. However once more, it wasn’t as apparent because it ought to have been what the logistics of Hugo’s resolution meant.
He spoke about his love for his hometown, and he referred to it as his residence, however he by no means mentioned the official phrases that he gave up his job in London to remain both in New York Metropolis or there.
He expressed how a lot he liked Patrick, however they handwaved the remainder away.
Nevertheless it did construct to that stunning second on the prepare station platform.
A century in the past, Edgar Carol and Ashby stood on that very same platform close to one another, because the love of one another’s lives, and took a photograph the place their solely method of expressing their love for one another was the contact of their pinkies.
A pinkie promise, if you’ll, due to a time when homosexuality was one thing you hid.
And there Hugo and Patrick had been 100 years later, kissing publically, in entrance of their family and friends, as Kate captured their candy second, as out and proud males who liked one another and will achieve this out loud.
No, all the things is not excellent, and society nonetheless has some methods to go. Nevertheless, typically we’ve to take a second to replicate on how far we have come, and we’ve to rejoice the victories.
It was the right, poignant ending for the movie.
Over to you, Lifetime Fanatics. What are your ideas on The Christmas Setup? Anybody else secretly rooting for a sequel?
Hit the SHOW COMMENTS button under, and let me know what you assume!
Jasmine Blu is a senior employees author for TV Fanatic. Observe her on Twitter.